Thursday, November 30, 2006

Free E-Waste Collection Event in South Pasadena: January 27th and 28th

Free E-Waste Collection Event in South Pasadena: January 27th and 28th

TrueCycle, Inc. and Holy Family Church, South Pasadena, to host a two-day recycling event January, 27th - 28th, 2006. The event is open to the public. Donations dropped off at the Holy Family Recycling Drive are tax deductible. Proceeds will benefit the Holy Family Giving Bank and Community Services.

Pasadena, CA (PRWEB) January 23, 2006

trueCycle, Inc. and Holy Family Church, South Pasadena, will host a two-day recycling event January, 27th - 28th, 2006. The event is open to the public. Donations dropped off at the Holy Family Recycling Drive are tax deductible. Proceeds will benefit the Holy Family Giving Bank and Community Services.

Because most consumers don't know where to take their obsolete electronics, the refuse from discarded electronic products often ends up in landfills or incinerators instead of being recycled. In a recent interview, Todd Hill, founder and CEO of trueCycle, Inc., said, "The improper disposal of end-of-life electronics, called e-waste, is the world's fastest growing waste problem. Rapidly evolving technology has produced a culture of disposable electronics, with replacement often easier and less costly than repair."

Electronic computer equipment is generally a complicated assembly of more than one thousand materials, many of which are highly toxic. Substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium, brominated flame retardants and PVC plastics can cause significant risks to human health, wildlife, and the environment when e-waste ends up in landfills.

Todd Hill, a technology expert who sits on numerous National Councils for the EPA, believes local collection events serve the community in several ways. "trueCycle is pleased to provide consumers with a convenient, and responsible way to dispose of obsolete electronics while supporting community services. These events raise awareness about hazards associated with improper storage and disposal of electronic devices and give consumers appropriate alternatives."

Only electronic items from the following list will be accepted at

This event:

Monitors & Televisions

Desktop & Laptop Computers 

Workstations & Servers

Printers & Copiers & Fax Machines 

Cell Phones & PDAs

Scanners & Cameras 

Radios & Stereos

LAN & Peripheral Cards 

Mice & Keyboards

Who: trueCycle, Inc. and Holy Family Church of So. Pasadena

  (626) 799-8908

What: Holy Family Electronics Recycling Drive

Where: Holy Family Church, St. Joseph Center, Fremont Avenue,

  South Pasadena, CA 91030. Parking lot behind St. Joseph Center,

  at the corner of Fremont Ave. and Oak St.

When: Friday, Jan. 27, 2006 8:00 a. m. - 5:00 p. m.

  Saturday, Jan. 28, 2006, 8:00 a. m. - 3:00 p. m.

A California Authorized e-waste recycler with corporate offices in Pasadena and operations facilities in Victorville and Placerville, trueCycle, Inc. provides environmentally responsible e-waste solutions for government agencies, corporations, healthcare organizations, and other waste handlers, nationwide.

Note: Todd Hill is available for interviews. Contact Marie Oser,

805-446-2908.

CONTACT: for trueCycle, Inc.

Todd Hill, 866.668.1888

Http://www. truecycle. com (http://www. truecycle. com)

SOURCE: trueCycle, Inc.

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Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Attention: Assignment Editor, City Editor, Health/Medical Editor, News Editor, Sports Editor DR. JAY LEADS THE WAYÂ In Helping Families Fight Cancer with Dignity and Determination with two initiatives &#194

Attention: Assignment Editor, City Editor, Health/Medical Editor, News Editor, Sports Editor DR. JAY LEADS THE WAYÂ… In Helping Families Fight Cancer with Dignity and Determination with two initiatives Â

Mississauga, Ontario, June 16 /PR Direct/ - * The Dr. Jay Golf Classic features a draw for a "Million Dollar Hole In One." This shot takes place, June 21, at 10:30 a. m. at the Lionhead Golf Course in Brampton * And introducing the Dr. Jay Charitable Foundation

(PRWEB) June 20, 2004

The year was 1996, when four avid long-time golfing buddies finished another 18 holes. While relaxing in the club house they came up with the idea of hosting a charity golf tournament. This was the beginning of the Dr. Jay Golf Classic. One small idea spawned a golf tournament that has currently raised in excess of $1,200,000.00, with all proceeds donated to charity.

June 21st marks the 9th annual Golf Tournament, to be held at the Lionhead Golf Course, in Brampton. There's plenty of action and plenty of prizes including a Million Dollar Hole in One. The Million Dollar Hole in One shot will take place at 10:30 a. m., June 21 during the Dr. Jay Golf Classic at Lionhead Golf Course. "Pinball" Clemons and Mike Bullard will also be on hand to catch the action. Golf registrations are still being accepted and reservations are filling up quickly so to ensure your spot plan to book right away. Corporate sponsorships have been increasing each year and a few are still available. The Dr. Jay Golf Classic is a great way to spend a day and it's for a very good cause.

This successful annual golf tournament was the spring-board for establishing the Dr. Jay Charitable Foundation. Their mission is "Helping Families Fight Cancer with Dignity and Determination." The foundation primarily assists patients and/or their families to understand and cope with cancer-related and life limiting illnesses.

A sampling of the Foundation initiatives includes:

Establishing and maintaining children's playcare centres in hospitals. Assisting patients with life-limiting illnesses. Providing much needed funds to numerous hospitals and organizations that make a difference in the fight against cancer.

The hospitals and various facilities that benefit from The Foundation's fund raising activities are as follows:

Camp Oochigeas Canuck Place Hill House Hospice Hospice Richmond Hill Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group North York General Hospital Princess Margaret Hospital/Ontario Cancer Institute Rose Cherry's Home for Kids Rouge Valley Health System Toronto Hospital for Sick Children Toronto-Sunnybrook Regional Cancer Center Wellspring Cancer Support Foundation

Setting up strategic alliances and sponsorships within the corporate community has been their recent mandate. Leading corporations have sponsored events and donated funds as well as products and services that greatly assist with the expansion of The Dr. Jay Charitable Foundation's many programs. Celebrities and sports spokesmen and women have been welcomed aboard.

The Chairman and Founder is Dr. Jay Bacher, a former dentist. Dr. Jay is well aware that families desperately need help when a child is diagnosed with Cancer and is faced with a life limiting situation. As a result he has established the Dr. Jay Pediatric Palliative Care program. This program is designed to assist families and empower them to manage and cope during the last stages of their child's life. The Foundation provides ongoing funding for Pediatric Palliative Care in Canada. Kids still require care even when a cure is not possible.

Another Foundation principal is Bob Goodman, who is a lawyer. He is also a Co-Founder and Corporate Donations Chairman. Bob says, "In order to continue our initiatives working with adults and kids alike we require the necessary funding to sustain our many programs. That's my job, and I love it getting out in the community and meeting with corporate leaders for the purpose of fund raising."

Stuart Weinstein is Director of Development. He mentions, "My role with The Foundation is to open new doors, and steer the foundation down an innovative path. I'm the "idea man." I also ensure that everything comes together and that our North York-based office runs smoothly and efficiently."

The Foundation is proud of their "user friendly" website and invites you to log on to the site. It has been fully expanded. It now incorporates many photos and includes all aspects of the foundation, everything from the posting of events to rich, background history. Through recently expanded marketing and promotional initiatives, one of the long term goals will most certainly be achieved. That is, to take the Dr. Jay Charitable Foundation clear across Canada.

Of course, at the heart of the organization, The Foundation wishes to acknowledge and thank a number of wonderful, caring individuals. These folks are the 'back-bone' of the Foundation, the people who "go the extra mile" and give generously of their time and talent to expand and meet the on-going commitments.

If you wish to register for The Dr. Jay Golf Classic scheduled for June 21 or require more information or plan to donate, please contact The Dr. Jay Charitable Foundation office at: (416) 226-6164 or check out the website at: www. drjayfoundation. com

COMPANY: Dr. Jay Charitable Foundation

PROVINCE/STATE: ON

INDUSTRY: HEALTH MEDIA SPORTS OTHER

AJWS Responds to Floods in Haiti and the Dominican Republic

AJWS Responds to Floods in Haiti and the Dominican Republic

Global organization supports local partners addressing immediate needs and advancing long-term community development goals.

New York, NY (PRWEB) September 12, 2008

American Jewish World Service (AJWS) today announced that it will be responding to the humanitarian crises in Haiti and the Dominican Republic following Hurricanes Gustav, Hanna and Ike. AJWS (http://www. ajws. org) is an international development organization motivated by Judaism's imperative to pursue justice. AJWS is dedicated to alleviating poverty, hunger and disease among the people of the developing world regardless of race, religion or nationality.

Partnering with community-based agencies throughout Haiti and the Dominican Republic, AJWS supports grassroots human rights and community development projects that are designed, implemented and managed by the organized poor.

Since late August 2008, heavy wind and rain, floods and mudslides in Haiti (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Haiti) and the Dominican Republic (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Dominican_Republic) have killed approximately 1,500 people and have cut off ground access to 40,000 people due to washed out bridges and roads. While many still have not recovered from last year's extremely active hurricane season, continued storms have left close to one million homeless.

The hurricanes have had a significant impact on Haitian farmers and rural communities where more than 50,000 families have lost access to their agricultural production. The people that are predominately affected by the storms in the Dominican Republic include the Haitian and Haitian-Dominican population, a community already grappling with disproportionate poverty and a lack of infrastructure. Haitian and Haitian-Dominicans are excluded from government sponsored initiatives and services because they are not legally recognized or considered a minority or ethnic group.

-- Programs funded by AJWS in Haiti provide access to new technology and training to enable agricultural cooperatives; technical support and resources to strengthen peasant organizations addressing agricultural productivity and food security; and health literacy and business skills training to clients of village banks.

-- Programs funded by AJWS in the Dominican Republic are driven by the priorities of Haitian-Dominican communities struggling to secure basic civil and political rights and legal protections. AJWS helps Haitian-Dominican organizations to integrate health services--including HIV prevention, testing and treatment--into their ongoing human rights work. Increasingly AJWS is in a position to foster strategic alliances between its grantees and other international development agencies for networking, service referrals and learning opportunities.

Regarding the recent hurricanes, AJWS is raising awareness and collecting funds in the Jewish community for emergency response efforts undertaken by its grantees. AJWS is partnering with two grantees in Haiti to provide agricultural inputs and infrastructure reconstruction support to women and farming families most affected by the flooding. AJWS emergency grants will not only meet some of the immediate needs of the affected communities but will also advance their long-term development goals, especially as they relate to reducing disaster vulnerability.

"The situation in Haiti is dire and as Jews it is our responsibility to respond however we can," said AJWS President Ruth W. Messinger. "Communities in the developing world are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. Our grantmaking philosophy is to listen to the expertise of the groups we already support in these locations. This level of partnership allows us to help communities address their needs quickly and effectively when disaster strikes."

For more information or to donate click here (https://secure. ajws. org/site/Donation2?df_id=1800&1800.donation=form1).

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Tuesday, November 28, 2006

More Intelligence Needed at the Core of Healthcare IT Systems

More Intelligence Needed at the Core of Healthcare IT Systems

If healthcare providers are to cope with the data received from the increasing number of wireless diagnostic and monitoring devices, more intelligence must be added to the core of their IT systems. A report identifies a number of key intelligent software components that are currently under development.

Cambridge, UK (PRWEB) September 21, 2006

If healthcare providers are to cope with the data received from the increasing number of wireless diagnostic and monitoring devices, more intelligence must be added to the core of their IT systems. That is the one of the conclusions of a report recently published by Cambridge UK based analysts Wireless Healthcare.

The report sees manufacturers continuing to push wireless medical devices into the consumer electronics market. Wireless Healthcare acknowledges that this will help move care to the edge of the healthcare network, yielding cost savings and delivering services to patients currently overlooked by incumbent providers. However, it also warns that without intelligent software applications to handle data collected from wireless monitoring devices, clinicians will become overloaded and patients’ expectations of the system will not be met.

As Peter Kruger, Senior Analyst with Wireless Healthcare points out. “This is rather like an online banking service without software to analyse a customer’s loan application. It is not difficult to imagine what would happen if every time an online customer put in a request for a loan it had to be read and approved by a manager.”

The report identifies a number of key intelligent software components that are currently under development, but casts doubt on whether these will fit with the IT infrastructure being installed by major healthcare providers such as the UK’s NHS.

The three components are:

Analytical engines.

Diagnostic tools.

Disease monitoring software.

Wireless Healthcare sees these components as complicated and expensive to build using the ‘big bang’ approach to healthcare IT. The report found that most applications are being developed as part of small-scale initiatives -- even where large IT vendors are involved.

Wireless Healthcare sees some of these intelligent healthcare applications supporting services that expand outside of the incumbent healthcare provider’s domain. As Kruger points out “This could lead to a number of integration issues down the line. Over and above technical considerations, clinicians may feel their jobs are under threat and that healthcare services are being privatised by the back door.”

The report “Wireless Based Remote Monitoring And Diagnostics” is available from www. wirelesshealthcare. co. uk

About Wireless Healthcare

Wireless Healthcare are UK based analysts specialising in the application of mobile and wireless technology in the healthcare sector.

Www. wirelesshealthcare. co. uk

For further details contact:

Toby Jackson

Wireless Healthcare

Tjackson @ steinkrug. co. uk

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Monday, November 27, 2006

As Hospitals Struggle with New HIT Challenges, Performance Clinical Offers a Simple, Innovative Approach for Evidence-based Medicine, Decision Support, and Documentation

As Hospitals Struggle with New HIT Challenges, Performance Clinical Offers a Simple, Innovative Approach for Evidence-based Medicine, Decision Support, and Documentation

Company appoints new CEO, changes name to reflect accelerated market response for its rapidly deployable, high-impact, and budget-sensitive tools to drive clinical performance improvement. Physician-friendly design fits directly within existing workflows for admissions, discharges, and transitions of care.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) May 21, 2010

Performance Clinical Systems (www. performanceclinical. com), formerly Stepping Stone Clinical Systems, today named Brian O'Neill as CEO. Mr. O'Neill is a seasoned executive with a track record of successfully growing technology and healthcare information companies. He joins Performance Clinical at a critical time when hospitals and physicians must meet increasingly stringent targets for quality, safety and value delivered. Mr. O’Neill brings a customer-focused approach for leading the company to leverage its core technologies with timely and effective solutions for addressing these critical needs.

“Healthcare organizations universally recognize that evidence-based best practice leads to better outcomes. Unfortunately, as busy providers constantly strive to deliver the best care, they are often unable to incorporate this knowledge into their own practices in a practical way. Our physician-designed approach lets them focus on superlative care without being hampered by complex, intrusive technologies,” said Mr. O'Neill.

"As importantly, unlike more complex and expensive HIT systems, our flagship application, SmartOrders (TM), is browser-based and does not require a 'big bang' workflow cutover. Rollout can occur at a gradual pace, custom-fit for each hospital, and launching with as few as one or two key physicians or admitting groups in a matter of weeks. The result is a Hospital Performance Improvement Toolkit that can be deployed quickly with or without a full EMR solution in place at a fraction of the cost,” Mr. O'Neill noted.

For the past five years, Performance Clinical's approach has proven popular and rapidly adopted among physician users—crucial to any solution's success—for two reasons: First, SmartOrders is minimally disruptive to existing workflows, enabling quick integration without a lot of change management overhead. Second, SmartOrders is MD-designed (by company co-founder and chief scientist, Chris Johnson, MD, MPH), so physician users are treated to an experience that reflects how they intuitively approach each step of the order-writing process. The short learning curve translates into training that clocks in at less than 15 minutes per user.

"With the challenges posed by healthcare reform and ‘meaningful use’ requirements, as well as the arrival of new models for care delivery which are driving hospital performance strategies such as accountable care organizations and bundled payments, the unique dynamic feedback loop in our platform provides a key component to optimize care and performance. Performance Clinical is focused on enabling hospitals to quickly, often instantly, make significant improvements in many care delivery scenarios," notes company chairman and co-founder, Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH.

"Administrators and quality managers pursuing improvement goals can go from dashboard to detail views as they dissect content relevance and individual physician usage patterns. We find this of particular interest to key stakeholders charged with optimizing clinical performance, and we're delighted Brian is on board to thread the intricacies of that strategic direction across our market segments," Dr. Nobel added.

About Performance Clinical Systems

Performance Clinical Systems is a healthcare technology company based in San Francisco, California and Boston, Massachusetts. Its flagship application, SmartOrders, is an “advanced order set management system” that adds precision and consistency to evidence-based medicine, provides dynamic decision support directly at the point of care, and gathers essential data for advanced analytics and quality improvement. The company’s solutions are attractive to key stakeholders because they are quickly embraced by end-users, deployed rapidly (within weeks, not months), are a fraction the cost of enterprise-wide HIT systems, and contribute significantly to a hospitals ability to meet “meaningful use” requirements.

The SmartOrders application, with its modular configuration and browser-based interface, is powerful in its simplicity, highly scalable, supports virtually any content source, and works within virtually any technical infrastructure.

Performance Clinical's customers include hospitals, health systems and health plans. Chris Johnson, MD, MPH and Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH founded the privately held company in 2004.

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American Kidney Fund’s Kidney Hero Podcast Series Celebrates Iraq War Veteran, Other Heroes Living with Kidney Disease

American Kidney Fund’s Kidney Hero Podcast Series Celebrates Iraq War Veteran, Other Heroes Living with Kidney Disease

The American Kidney Fund (AKF) recently released its newest installment in the Kidney Heroes podcast series. The podcast recognizes Sergeant Scott Blaylock, a veteran of the Iraq War who is living with kidney disease.

Rockville, MD (PRWEB) July 13, 2010

The American Kidney Fund (AKF) recently released its newest installment in the Kidney Heroes podcast series. The podcast recognizes Sergeant Scott Blaylock, a veteran of the Iraq War who is living with kidney disease.

Scott shares his challenges of maintaining kidney health while serving military duty in Mosul, Iraq. Like many, Scott was unaware of the risks of kidney disease and the silent nature of the condition. During a routine Army physical prior to deployment, Scott learned that he had high blood pressure. A subsequent test revealed his kidneys were functioning at less than 50% of capacity. By watching his diet and maintaining a regular exercise routine, Scott managed his kidney disease and was able to fulfill his military duty. He is now an advocate for kidney disease prevention and awareness.

“I congratulate Scott and all of the AKF Kidney Heroes and thank them for helping others by sharing their powerful and unique stories,” said LaVarne A. Burton, President and CEO of the American Kidney Fund. “I hope their stories can inspire others the way they have inspired me.”

The American Kidney Fund's Kidney Heroes podcast series honors people who are making a difference in the fight against kidney disease. The entire series is available for download on the American Kidney Fund Kidney Heroes podcast page or on iTunes. Previous installments in the Kidney Heroes podcast series feature the following heroes:
 Kodey Weir, a winner of the American Kidney Fund 2010 Calendar Kids Art Contest, an annual search for drawings to illustrate the organization’s wall calendar. His artwork is published on the December page of the nationally distributed calendar.  Pat Meyers, an AKF Patient Advocate, who recently traveled to Washington, DC, for World Kidney Day on the Hill, where she met with congressional leaders to raise awareness about kidney disease.  Doug Penrod, a Registered Nurse and kidney donor. Doug’s passion for nephrology, his selfless sacrifice, and his compassion for kidney patients make him an American Kidney Fund Kidney Hero. For more information about the American Kidney Fund, visit www. kidneyfund. org.

About the American Kidney Fund
The mission of the American Kidney Fund is to fight kidney disease through direct financial support to patients in need; health education; and prevention efforts. As the nation’s No. 1 source of treatment-related financial assistance to kidney patients, the American Kidney Fund in 2009 provided charitable grants totaling nearly $155 million to more than 87,000 dialysis patients in all 50 states. The American Kidney Fund reaches tens of thousands of individuals each year with information about kidney health; operates a kidney disease screening program targeting high-risk populations; and maintains a toll-free HelpLine (866-300-2900) which provides education about kidney disease. The American Kidney Fund is a seven-time recipient of the highest “Four Star” rating from Charity Navigator; holds an A+ rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy; adheres to the National Health Council Standards of Excellence; and is a member of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance. For more information, visit www. kidneyfund. org.

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Sunday, November 26, 2006

FlexRN Nurse Staffing Agency Prepares Nurses for Demands of Latest Health Care Reform

FlexRN Nurse Staffing Agency Prepares Nurses for Demands of Latest Health Care Reform

Nurse staffing agency, FlexRN, announces its plans to help agency nurses prepare for expected impacts of the newly adopted U. S. Health Care Reform legislation. Current healthcare reform legislation indicates that more patients are likely to seek healthcare, which will create a higher demand for nursing services.

Stafford, VA (PRWEB) May 10, 2010

Nurse staffing agency, FlexRN, announces its plans to help agency nurses prepare for expected impacts of the newly adopted U. S. Health Care Reform legislation. With greater access to healthcare being facilitated by the legislation, FlexRN anticipates an increase in demand for agency nursing among hospitals and urgent care providers. Because of this, the company is stepping up efforts to help nurses understand how the legislation may affect their nursing careers.

Current healthcare reform legislation indicates that more patients are likely to seek healthcare, which will create a higher demand for nursing services. Typically when nursing services are in high demand nurses gain greater control over their careers. In this case, FlexRN anticipates the nursing demands to be filled more by agency nurses, and less by staff nurses. As such, the company seeks to help agency nurses leverage the opportunity to build a beneficial career – for themselves and the hospitals they serve.

Executive Director of FlexRN, Diana O’Toole-Moncure, comments, “With uncertainty over how the legislation will ultimately impact hospitals from a financial standpoint, there will be added complexity to how hospitals respond to the demand for more nurses. We expect hospitals will increasingly turn to agency nurses as a way to mitigate uncertainty and remain responsive to patient demands.”

With agency nursing, hospitals can maintain complete flexibility by adjusting their staff counts up or down on a daily or seasonal basis -- without obligation. The right nurse staffing agency can enable hospitals to avoid the average $40,000 cost of hiring a nurse staffer and instead rely on per diem, contract, or travel nurses to fill their needs on demand.

FlexRN will be offering free advice and information to help nurses manage their careers during this new era of healthcare via the company’s website at www. flexrn. com.

About FlexRN:

FlexRN is a nurse staffing agency (http://www. flexrn. com) that is managed by nurses for nurses. The company maintains a strong commitment to put the needs of nurses on par with the needs of hospitals and urgent care facilities to deliver a win-win for both. The company’s per diem staffing opportunities are currently available in Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, with additional locations coming soon. Travel nursing jobs are available nationwide. FlexRN nurses are offered standout wages and comprehensive benefits, a personal scheduler, and flexible shifts and hours. Interested nurses are encouraged to visit www. FlexRN. com to learn about agency nursing jobs (http://www. flexrn. com) and travel nursing jobs (http://www. flexrn. com), talk with a staffing expert, or apply to become a FlexRN nurse.

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Friday, November 24, 2006

Walgreens Offers Help Sorting Through Changes to Medicare Part D Plans : Free personalized report available at every Walgreens makes it easier for seniors to identify their best choices for prescription coverage

Walgreens Offers Help Sorting Through Changes to Medicare Part D Plans : Free personalized report available at every Walgreens makes it easier for seniors to identify their best choices for prescription coverage

The six-week open enrollment period for Medicare Part D is under way and seniors are facing the annual task of evaluating prescription plans to nail down their choices for the coming year. Medicare enrollees have until Dec. 31 to review their current plan for any changes in cost or coverage and make certain it still meets their needs. Again this year, Walgreens pharmacists will be one of the best resources for Medicare information, offering a free personalized report that makes it easier for seniors and caregivers to weigh their options.

DEERFIELD, Ill. (PRWEB) November 19, 2008

The report is available in minutes at any of the more than 6,500 Walgreens pharmacies nationwide or online at Walgreens. com/medicare. Pharmacists will enter a list of the patient's medications and generate a printout detailing each plan's estimated annual costs including monthly premiums, brand and generic co-pays and coverage through the coverage gap or "donut hole".

"We urge people not to assume their plans will remain the same for 2009," said Kermit R. Crawford, Walgreens senior vice president of pharmacy. "Many plans have made significant increases in premiums or changes to medications covered. Our report simplifies the decision-making process by providing information tailored for each individual in a way that makes it easy to compare options."

Even if there have not been changes to their current plan, seniors are encouraged to consider how their needs may have evolved over the year and how their plan measures up against others available. Walgreens also recommends that seniors who switch plans or those enrolling in Part D for the first time do so well before the Dec. 31 deadline in order to ensure processing is complete before they need to refill prescriptions in early January.

Walgreens pharmacists can also help seniors determine whether they may qualify for the Extra Help subsidy. Patients who meet certain income requirements may be eligible for lower co-payments.

"We understand this decision can be overwhelming for both seniors and caregivers. We are working to make sure people don't miss out on significant savings because they don't understand how to evaluate their options," said Crawford. "We want seniors to know there's a plan out there that will work for them, and we can help them find it."

For more information on the personalized report and Medicare Part D counseling services available at Walgreens, contact your local store or go to www. walgreens. com/medicare (http://www. walgreens. com/medicare).

Walgreens (www. walgreens. com) is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2008 sales of $59 billion. The company operates 6,544 drugstores in 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Walgreens provides the most convenient access to consumer goods and cost-effective health care services in America through its retail drugstores, Walgreens Health Services division and Walgreens Health and Wellness division. In addition to specialty pharmacy services, Walgreens Health Services assists pharmacy patients and prescription drug and medical plans through Walgreens Health Initiatives Inc. (a pharmacy benefit manager), Walgreens Mail Service Inc., Walgreens Home Care Inc. and SeniorMed LLC (a pharmacy provider to long-term care facilities). Walgreens Health and Wellness division includes Take Care Health Systems, which is comprised of: Take Care Consumer Solutions, managers of 273 convenient care clinics at Walgreens drugstores, and Take Care Employer Solutions, managers of worksite-based health and wellness services at 366 employer campuses.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

AIAG Partners with AutoCom for Automotive Public Relations

AIAG Partners with AutoCom for Automotive Public Relations

The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG), one of the industryÂ’s largest trade associations, has selected AutoCom Associates as its public relations agency of record.

SOUTHFIELD, Mich (PRWEB) January 22, 2004

The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG), one of the industryÂ’s largest trade associations, has selected AutoCom Associates as its public relations agency of record.

“AutoCom was selected based on their experience with automotive clients such as the United States Council for Automotive Research and their proven track record in the field of automotive public relations,” said Andy Cummins, AIAG’s executive director.

Cummins noted that as AIAGÂ’s 1,600 members in North America expand their automotive operations in Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region, AIAG is moving to provide service in those regions as well.

AutoCom Associates is a member of the International Public Relations Network (IPRN), a global organization of 41 agencies with nearly 600 employees and more than $400 million in annual billings. Headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., the firmÂ’s team of professional communicators has extensive working experience with Ford, General Motors and DaimlerChrysler, as well as a number of European, Japanese and Korean automakers and their suppliers.

John Piscopink, AIAGÂ’s communications manager, said that AutoCom will partner with French & Rogers, a business-to-business marketing firm based in Troy, Mich., to serve the organizationÂ’s public affairs, media relations, advertising and general marketing needs.

“AIAG is one of the only places in the world where automotive manufacturers and their suppliers can meet to address and resolve problems that affect the entire global automotive supply chain,” said Larry Weis, AutoCom’s president. “It’s a dynamic organization that provides its membership with an unparalleled number of benefits. We’re excited about the opportunity to work with them on a global basis.”

Founded in 1982, AIAG is headquartered in Southfield, Mich. Its member companies include North American, European and Asia-Pacific OEMs and suppliers to the automotive industry with combined annual sales of more than $600 billion. A non-profit association, AIAGÂ’s primary goals are to reduce cost and complexity within the automotive supply chain and to improve speed-to-market, product quality, employee health-and-safety and the environment. Additional information is available on the Internet at www. aiag. org.

AutoCom Associates is a public relations agency focused on providing management consulting and public relations services to businesses working in the global automotive industry. Its list of tier one automotive clients includes Alcan Automotive, Behr America, dSPACE, Gage Products Company, GKN Driveline, Hella North America, MANN+HUMMEL and TI Automotive. AutoCom is located on the Internet at www. usautocom. com.

###

Media Contacts:

John Piscopink

Automotive Industry Action Group

Phone: +1.248.213.4646

E-mail: jpiscopink@aiag. org

Chip Drake

AutoCom Associates

Phone: +1.248.647.8621

E-mail: cdrake@usautocom. com

Nancy Lesinski

French & Rogers Inc.

Phone: +1.248.641.1718

E-mail: n. lesinski@french-rogers. com

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Trend Survey Reveals Future of Senior Living Communities

Trend Survey Reveals Future of Senior Living Communities

Older adults who anticipate moving to a senior living community can look forward to maintaining their independence through "smart home" technology and wireless connectivity, according to a recent survey of senior living trends. The survey reveals how future generations will be served in senior living communities, including expanded home health care, wellness programs, and "green" designs.

Evanston, IL (PRWEB) May 19, 2009

Older adults who anticipate moving to a senior living community can look forward to maintaining their independence through "smart home" technology and wireless connectivity, according to a recent survey of senior living trends released today by Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging in collaboration with Caring Communities Shared Services and Life Services Network (LSN) of Illinois, the state affiliate of the American Association of Homes and Services of the Aging and the Assisted Living Federation of America.

The survey provides insight into how future generations will be served in senior living communities, including expanded home health care, wellness programs, and "green" designs.

"The results of this survey are significant because there are few published studies that examine trends in programs, amenities, and environments among aging services providers," said Mary Leary, President and CEO, Mather LifeWays.

The survey, conducted in October and November 2008, includes responses from 107 senior living organizations in 13 states, representing 435 senior living communities. "The survey results tell us that it will not be business as usual for senior living communities in the years ahead," said Linda Hollinger-Smith, Vice President, Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging. "It's clear that with the projected decline in the 75 to 84 age population over the next decade, senior living organizations will need to identify their 'niche' to attract this generation prior to the arrival of the Baby Boomers."

Survey respondents identified the top emerging trends, including:

Maintaining Resident Independence
 Incorporating "smart home" technology and wireless connectivity into senior living residences.  Bringing home health care, tele-health technology, geriatric assessment services, and non-medical home care services into senior living communities to promote quality of life as one "ages in place."

Expansion of Programs/Services Outside of Senior Living Communities
 Providing home health and adult day care services.  Delivering services to older adults in their homes through programs such as the "Beacon Hill" model.

Wellness and Lifelong Learning for Senior Living Residents
 Integrating and expanding wellness programs into senior living design including wellness/healing gardens, health spas, therapy pools, putting greens, and indoor aquatic centers.  Providing web-based education and lifelong learning programs for residents.

Environmentally Aware Senior Living Communities
 Obtaining LEED certification to demonstrate new construction and renovations are achieving "green" standards.  Building "small house" models for residents in long-term care settings: Small houses are self-contained buildings for small numbers of residents, organized in a way to maximize normal living environments and routines, resident autonomy, sense of community, and quality of life.

Results of the survey demonstrate that senior living organizations are addressing and planning to meet the needs and interests of their current and future residents. Overall, senior living communities with 300 or more units appear to be leading the way in terms of current and future planning in many areas of programs, services, amenities, and environmental issues compared to smaller senior living communities.

Senior living providers indicate they will continue to expand partnerships in order to meet and exceed expectations of the next generation of older adults. Potential partnerships include other Continuing Care Retirement Communities, colleges/universities, for-profit ventures, Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities, active adult communities, and state and local government agencies.

For further information about the Survey of Trends in Senior Living, please contact: Linda Hollinger-Smith, Vice President, Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging, (847) 492-6811 or lhollinger-smith@matherlifeways. com

About Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging:
Based in Evanston, Illinois, Mather LifeWays enhances the lives of older adults by creating Ways to Age Well. SM The Institute on Aging was founded as a way to provide much-needed research and education for the health professionals who serve older adults. Initiatives focus on person-centered care and effective memory support addressing program assessment tools, emergency preparedness, and reducing workforce turnover rates. Additional Institute programs target workforce wellness and empowering family caregivers. To learn more about Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging, or Mather LifeWays senior residences and community initiatives, please call (847) 492.7500 or find your way to www. matherlifeways. com.

About the Survey:
Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging conducted a survey among senior living member organizations to learn about trends in programs, services, amenities, and environments as providers look toward serving the next generation of older adults. A web survey was conducted in October and November and data was analyzed in December 2008. A total of 107 senior living member organizations participated in the web survey, representing 435 senior living communities from 13 states nationwide (nearly 40,000 units). Approximately 60 percent of the senior living communities are based in Illinois. Of the participating senior living organizations, 35 percent have a total of 300 or more units and 64 percent have less than 300 units.

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Friday, November 17, 2006

Frost & SullivanÂ’s Opportunities in Life Science Molecules: Global Partnership Summit

Frost & SullivanÂ’s Opportunities in Life Science Molecules: Global Partnership Summit

Mumbai, June 7th, 2005: The long-awaited global partnership summit organized by Frost & Sullivan on Life science Molecules kicked-off on 3rd June at the Leela, Goa with Mr. Aroop Zutshi, Senior Partner Frost & Sullivan inaugurating the event.

(PRWEB) June 12, 2005

Mr. J. C. Saigal, Executive Director (International), Nicholas Piramal India Ltd. gave the introductory talk on Custom Manufacturing in India. The three days of the conference saw thought leaders from the worldÂ’s leading companies talking about active pharma ingredients and intermediates, contract research, custom synthesis and partner selection for new chemical entities.

India is currently among the top five global manufacturers of Active Pharma Ingredients (APIs). The production of APIs continues to swell with an increasing number of international companies making a beeline to India to meet their API supply needs. Frost & Sullivan estimates that the total production of bulk drugs and intermediates in India was $1.5-2 billion in 2004. Almost 70 percent of the total bulk drug production is exported.

“With well-established reverse engineering skills, proven expertise in process development, synthesis, API and formulation development in addition to the inherent cost advantage, Indian partnerships in the API and formulation development domain of the R&D value chain are huge. Backed by these credentials, the chemistry expertise and other advantages, Indian players can evolve to be partners of choice for chemistry and chemistry related services”, says Aditya Sapru, Director and Partner, Frost & Sullivan, India.

Mr. Ed Robinson, Executive Vice President, Europe and Asia, Cambrex Pharma and Biopharma while speaking on Opportunities for Contract Research and Custom Synthesis in changing global pharmaceutical environment said, “Competition is healthy but will cause painful dislocations in outsourcing. The western Contract Manufacturing Organizations (CMO’s) must adapt to survive until a new equilibrium in reached – 5-15 years. However, the global CMO’s with diverse products and services will continue to prosper if they answer the challenges from Asia and the Asian competitors must set high standards with a long term view of their market potential.”

In order to understand the relevant and strategic issues of the growing symbiotic relationship between global and Indian fine chemical and drug manufacturers, Frost & Sullivan hosted this three-day international summit, in Goa, one of the most exotic and multicultural states in India. It was a conclave of great thinkers, strategic decision makers, and corporate heads of the leading pharmaceutical fine chemical companies. Providing an ideal platform for international companies to network with each other, and with leading Indian manufacturers.

Dr. Lukas Utiger, Head Exclusive Synthesis, Lonza speaking on the opportunity of outsourcing and technology licensing said, “Pharma Paradigm shifts will have a mainly positive impact on Asian Contract Research Organization’s and Contract Manufacturing Organization’s mid to long term. Large opportunities can be developed in the CMO & CRO areas, if certain key assumptions are met like, confidentiality, “Non patent infringing” new processes (WHO patent guidelines), Open communication & information flow (supplier to customer), understanding the product quality constraints & change control in production process, understanding of long term relationships between business partners and lastly acceptance of cultural differences & willingness to breach the differences. “.

“One can say that the opportunities that have, and would emerge post the introduction of product patents, increased R&D focus coupled with technical expertise of Indian manufacturers, and the determination to become world-class players, augurs well for the Indian pharmaceutical industry as a whole. India has established itself as a key pharmaceutical world player; it is time Indian manufacturers positively seek and initiate strategic and sustainable partnerships,” said Mamta Wadhwa, Industry Manager, Chemicals Materials & Foods, Frost & Sullivan, India.

Not only technical but also strategic and marketing issues were discussed in this gathering of leaders from Indian and global pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals industries. Corporate and research heads from Lonza, DSM Pharma Chemicals, Cambrex Corporation, LANXESS, Diosynth, Bachem, American Pharmaceutical Partners, Alpharma, and Wyeth Research addressed the conference. With international participation from leading pharmaceutical companies, this summit was an arena for knowledge exchange in the areas of R&D, strategic partnership and outsourcing, emerging technologies in drug manufacturing, custom synthesis, global leadership, and many more.

Added to the range of discussions and presentations were two focused interactive workshops – one on the generic drug industry, and the other on achieving successful outsourcing partnerships, facilitated by experienced professionals from around the world.

This international conference organized by Frost & Sullivan provided an opportunity for established participants as well as entrants to capitalize on this phase of pharmaceutical upswing by interacting with global leaders, initiate business partnerships, and thereby, charter their strategic road-map for long-term growth.

About Frost & Sullivan: Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company's industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost & Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the investment community, by providing comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics. For more information, visit http://www. frost. com (http://www. frost. com).

Contact Details:

Surbhi Dedhia – Executive Corporate Communications

Frost & Sullivan

4th Floor, Tower VI,

Solitaire Corporate Park, Chakala,

Andheri (East), Mumbai - 400093.

India

P: +91 (22) 2832 4705

F: +91 (22) 2832 4713

E: sdedhia@frost. com

Samantha Unnikrishnan - Executive Corporate Communications

Frost & Sullivan

7th Floor, Karumuttu Center,

498 Anna Salai, Nandanam

Chennai - 600 035, India

P: +91 (44) 5204 4672

F: +91 (44) 2431 4264

E: sunnikrishnan@frost. com

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Wednesday, November 15, 2006

It's Better To Give Than To Receive: Miami's Soluna Aesthetic & Lipo Center Says Give Up Unwanted Fat, And Receive a Healthier, Slimmer Body This Holiday Season

It's Better To Give Than To Receive: Miami's Soluna Aesthetic & Lipo Center Says Give Up Unwanted Fat, And Receive a Healthier, Slimmer Body This Holiday Season

During what is normally known as the "season of giving", Miami's Soluna Aesthetic & Lipo Center invites you to celebrate the holidays with a different kind of gift this year - giving up unwanted fat - opting instead to reward yourself with a healthier, and slimmer appearance.

Miami, FL (PRWEB) November 28, 2007

During what is normally known as the "season of giving", Miami's Soluna Aesthetic & Lipo Center invites you to celebrate the holidays with a different kind of gift this year - giving up unwanted fat - opting instead to reward yourself with a healthier, and slimmer appearance.

SmartLipo, also known as laser liposuction, combined with LipoSelection® ultrasound technology, and LipoDissolve® are the latest additions to Soluna's comprehensive package of beauty enhancement and rejuvenation services. The procedures offer a "smart alternative" to traditional liposuction - they are minimally-invasive, are performed under local anesthetic, and allow clients a shorter recovery time.

Soluna has partnered with Guylaine Lanctôt Cliniques to offer these state-of-the-art procedures. "The minimally-invasive nature of these procedures make them an attractive option for our active clients who are interested in removing smaller areas of unwanted fat without disrupting their busy lifestyle," explains Dr. John Chang. "The procedure offer less swelling and bruising, and a quicker recovery time - we anticipate it will generate a strong interest from both new and existing clients," he added.

In illustration of Soluna's commitment to the procedures and to the center's clients, Lanctôt's medical director, Dr. Carlos Gonzalez, and his associate, Dr. John Chang, both received the procedures to ensure their success before offering them to their clients. "We can recommend these procedures are effective and safe - we've had them ourselves - and we saw incredible results," says Gonzalez. The procedure works best on areas that do not respond to diet or exercise and is ideal for the neck, jawline, arms, breasts, abdomen, love handles, inner and outer thighs and knees. "Since your body has only a small amount of these cells, no new fat cells return. Basically it takes off what dieting won't," he added.

About SmartLipo:
An innovative procedure designed as an alternative to traditional liposuction, SmartLipo is designed specifically for patients with smaller areas of localized fat that they wish to eliminate. SmartLipo received U. S. Food and Drug Administration clearance in the fourth quarter of 2006.

SmartLipo is the first and only laser that gently eliminates fat cells without the use of suction. First discovered in Europe, this revolutionary and minimally-invasive procedure involves the use of a laser to gently dissolve fat and tighten the surrounding skin. The procedure is done in-office, and does not require the use of a general anesthetic - resulting in less downtime and side-effects than traditional liposuction. In fact, most clients return to work within two days of having the procedure.

About LipoSelection:
VASER LipoSelection® combines new patented technology with advanced surgical techniques to break up and remove fatty tissue. Unwanted fat can be efficiently removed from abs, arms, back, hips, knees, love handles, neck and chin, saddlebags, and thighs. The VASER System uses ultrasound energy to break up and emulsify fat, leaving surrounding tissue - such as nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue - relatively intact.

About LipoDissolve®
LipoDissolve® uses a series of microinjections that contain two chemicals that are injected into the skin: phosphatidylcholine, derived from soy, and deoxycholate, produced in the body's digestive system. The mix is also known as PCDC.
Offering a full lineup of spa amenities, Soluna Aesthetic & Lip Center is your singular destination for all of your beauty enhancement, skin rejuvenation, and spa service needs. They are located directly across from Merrick Park's popular restaurant Il Villaggio at 4251 Salzedo Street, in the Village of Merrick Park. To learn more about Soluna's services, or to make an appointment, contact them at 877.300.LIPO, or visit them online at http://www. SolunaMiami. com/ (http://www. SolunaMiami. com/)

Contact:
Alan Khoriaty
Soluna Aesthetic & Lipo Center
The Village of Merrick Park
4251 Salzedo Street Suite 1330
Coral Gables, FL 33146
Phone: 877.300.LIPO

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Spanish Speaking Programming Expanded by "Boot Camp For New Dads"

Spanish Speaking Programming Expanded by "Boot Camp For New Dads"

Determined to reach fathers everywhere, Boot Camp For New Dads has expanded its number of Spanish language sites throughout the United States to twelve.

(PRWEB) February 4, 2004

Spanish Speaking Programming Expanded by "Boot Camp For New Dads"

Determined to reach fathers everywhere, Boot Camp For New Dads has expanded its number of Spanish language sites throughout the United States to twelve.

The organization has created the only curriculum in Spanish for new fathers. Boot Camp For New Dads believes the key to improving the quality of life for many young children lies in helping fathers be capable and caring beginning at birth.

A unique plan to bring "rookie" fathers-to-be together with "veteran" recent dads and their newborns, Boot Camp For New Dads is a non-profit program, offered at more than 200 hospitals, clinics, schools and churches across the U. S., now in English and Spanish.

LOCATION OF SPANISH BOOT CAMPS FOR NEW DADS

Spanish speaking Boot Camp For New Dad sites include St. Mary Medical Center, Apple Valley, California; Alameda County IPOPS, Oakland, California; MOMS, Santa Ana, California; Barton Memorial, South Lake Tahoe, California; St. Joseph Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona; Exempla St. Joseph Hospital, Denver, Colorado; Memorial Regional Hospital. Hollywood, Florida; Rush Copley Medical Center, Aurora, Illinois; El Valor, Chicago, Illinois; Mercy Medical Center, Sioux City, Iowa; St. Joseph County ISD, Centreville, Michigan;

Community Action Partnerships, Kearney, Nebraska.

ADAPTED TO THE LATINO HEART

The traditional values of extended family and group orientation are addressed by references to the grandparents, uncles and padrinos (godfathers) and by meeting in the “circulo” format. Having left the country where they were fathered, the Spanish speaking new fathers are learning about a new culture and trying to parent in a country that does not hold as dear the values that they grew up with. Traditional machismo may steer the new father away from the child and continue a cycle of separation. A positive view of machismo recognizes the strength of the relationship of father to his children. To create a healthy family, the Spanish Boot Camp offers understanding, knowledge and trust of the traditional community and extended kinship and the support these give to the new father.

NO MORE LANGUAGE BARRIER

What makes this curriculum unique is its friendliness to the ears and hearts of new Latino fathers. Not only is the program designed to appeal specifically to men and new fathers, but also the curriculum uses Spanish language in a way that gives support to the new dad. Directed to the Spanish speaker, the curriculum instructs the participant without the annoying distractions of “pochismos,” English words said with a Spanish accent such as; “marketa” for market or “brecas” for breaks. There is no need to explain English terms unknown to the common Spanish listening ear.

VIDEO DEBUT

The Spanish version of the Boot Camp video helps support the facilitator and the “veterano” father in teaching the new dads to take care of the newborn baby and mother.

BOOT CAMP BEGINNINGS

Boot Camp For New Dads is a unique program that brings "rookie" fathers-to-be together with "veteran" recent dads and their newborns. Having a child is an awesome gift, joy, and an immense challenge. Boot Camp For New Dads is helping dads prepare for their mission. A Boot Camp For New Dads session is a single three-hour program often held monthly on Saturday mornings.

Greg Bishop, founder of Boot Camp For New Dads, has had lots of hands-on experience caring for babies, with 12 siblings, 4 children of his own and numerous nieces and nephews. Bishop noticed that many men didn't seem to enjoy custody of their babies. After extensive research, he founded Boot Camp For New Dads at Irvine Medical Center (CA) in 1990 and has volunteered as Head Coach ever since.

National media, including news segments on ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN as well as articles in Child Magazine, Life Magazine, ReaderÂ’s Digest and others, have helped fuel the expansion of Boot Camp For New Dads to over 200 programs reaching thousands of new dads. The program is designed to bring a dad's perspective to the 1.5 million men who become fathers each year across America.

BADGE OF HONOR

"I can't imagine a more rewarding activity than helping new dads step up to the challenge," rejoiced Bishop, a Stanford MBA and active Boot Camp coach. "These guys are inspiring and should make all men proud, because once they understand how much they are needed, they deliver the goods."

ROLL CALL

For more information about Boot Camp For New Dads, please call (714) 838-9392 or visit http://www. newdads. com (http://www. newdads. com).

Editors:

To arrange an interview with Greg Bishop, founder of Boot Camp For New Dads, or a coach at a Boot Camp program in your region, please contact Steve Dubin, Drool Sergeant & PR counsel at, sdubin@prworkzone. com, (781) 878-9533.

CONTACT: Steve Dubin, PR Works, (781) 878-9533, sdubin@prworkzone. com

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Monday, November 13, 2006

Delegate Healthcare Solutions Selects Orion Health to Fast Track Data Integration and Improve Patient Safety

Delegate Healthcare Solutions Selects Orion Health to Fast Track Data Integration and Improve Patient Safety

Orion Health announces that Delegate Healthcare Solutions has selected Orion Health's Rhapsody Integration Engine to ensure its solution can be rapidly integrated with its customer's hospital information systems. Delegate will provide healthcare workers with food service technologies specialized to the unique needs of the patient, improving patient safety and quality of care.

Santa Monica, CA (PRWEB) January 29, 2009

Orion Health http://www. orionhealth. com (http://www. orionhealth. com), a leading provider of clinical workflow and integration technology for the healthcare sector, announces that Delegate Healthcare Solutions http://www. delegate-group. com (http://www. delegate-group. com) has selected Orion Health's Rhapsody Integration Engine http://www. orionhealth. com/rhapsody (http://www. orionhealth. com/rhapsody) to ensure its solution can be rapidly integrated with its customer's hospital information systems. Delegate will provide healthcare workers with food service technologies specialized to the unique needs of the patient, improving patient safety and quality of care.

Rhapsody Integration Engine will serve as the platform to ensure that Delegate's meal and food production planning tools can incorporate patient data such as prescribed diets, allergies, intolerances and medications that may be stored in disparate hospital systems. Next generation technologies and advanced database design allows Delegate to serve large scale healthcare and contract management organizations in a centrally hosted single database solution. Rhapsody enables multiple disparate hospital systems data to be standardized and interfaced to the central server.

"Rhapsody's flexibility helps us rapidly create customized interfaces to meet the broad range of systems that we encounter in customer IT environments," said David Edwards, Vice President, Delegate Healthcare Solutions.

"Selecting Rhapsody not only meant that we had a solution with proven ability to quickly integrate systems in the healthcare setting, but it meant we also had access to Orion Health's depth of knowledge regarding hospital system integration."

A Best in KLAS solution, Rhapsody has been specifically designed to meet the present and future needs of health integration. The Rhapsody Engine manages and streamlines message exchange between hospital applications, databases and external systems for effortless integration. Rhapsody delivers an integration solution with the lowest cost of ownership and highest return on investment.

"Delegate understands that no two hospital systems are alike and recognizes that an easy and fast implementation will result in improved patient care," said Paul Viskovich, President, Orion Health North America.

"Rhapsody's visual interface and open architecture will help Delegate rapidly create large numbers of interfaces and troubleshoot data exchange without taxing customer resources."

Delegate Healthcare Solutions http://www. delegate-group. com (http://www. delegate-group. com) provides software for the purchase, production, management and control of meals in the healthcare, hospitality and catering industries. With more than 2,500 installed solutions, Delegate software helps to reduce errors, improve patient satisfaction, measure and manage food costs and efficiently plan, order and deliver meals for patients around the world.

About Orion Health
Orion Health's easy-to-use solutions and applications improve patient care and clinical decision-making by providing integrated health data in a single, unified view. By enhancing existing healthcare information systems, Orion Health's Rhapsody Integration Engine, Concerto Medical Applications Portal, and workflow solutions provide healthcare workers with easy access to patient data and trends, and reduce errors and omissions by streamlining information transfer.

Worldwide, Orion Health is implementing health information communities involving over 35 million patients with tens of thousands of active users including Maine's HealthInfoNet and the Vermont Health Information Exchange. Orion Health's partners include leading health system integrators and IT vendors such as Accenture, IBM, Oracle Corporation, Sierra Systems and others. Orion Health has more than 1,000 clients around the world, including Lahey Clinic, New York State Department of Health, UCLA Medical Center, and U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More information can be found at http://www. orionhealth. com (http://www. orionhealth. com).

For More information:
Tamarie Johnson
503-345-9257

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Sunday, November 12, 2006

GUIguide 3.3 Improves Corporate Software Usability

GUIguide 3.3 Improves Corporate Software Usability

GUIguide 3.3 - WorldÂ’s Only Usability Knowledge Portal - Empowers Software Development Teams to Deploy Highly Usable Applications and Increases Application Design Consistency.

BRENTWOOD, Calif. (PRWEB) January 27, 2004

Classic System Solutions, a provider of usability products and services for corporate software developers, today announced the release of GUIguide 3.3. GUIguide provides a developer portal that can be accessed via the corporate intranet for knowledge capture, content management and delivery of usability knowledge for software development teams. GUIguide enables software development teams to realize highly usable applications while reducing the time and cost associated with traditional development efforts, and is being used in large organizations to facilitate agile design methods on large-scale projects.

Many of the worldÂ’s largest telecommunications, insurance, utilities, retail and health organizations have worked with Classic System Solutions to ensure more usable software applications. Some of these organizations include Progressive Insurance, Edward Jones, DHL, Prudential Securities, GMAC, Alltel, Peoplesoft, Sears, Bell Canada, Sybase, Boeing, Hewlett Packard, IBM, LandsÂ’ End, the U. S. Navy, and Zurich Insurance.

GUIguide 3.3 offers world-leading user interface design standards. It allows developers access to design guidelines for both GUI and web-based applications through a web-based enterprise knowledge portal. GUIguide was created with the vision of providing developers with several distinct advantages. It increases developer productivity, extends application usability, minimizes maintenance and support throughout the development process, and improves the quality and consistency of the applications being deployed.

GUIguide 3.3 Product Features

GUIguide 3.3 comes loaded with several important features, including visual design patterns (VDPÂ’s), quality assurance checklists, recommendations and samples. It also offers techniques for creating consistent usable components and allows teams to capture and share design knowledge. GUIguide comes preloaded with more than 1,300 usability standards and more than 300 checklists, design templates, resource components.

GUIguide 3.3 is development tool independent and is geared for both client/server and web design development projects. It is delivered and administered in a dynamic data-driven web application and is compatible with all major web browsers. Based on an ODBC-compliant database, it allows for instant updates and maintenance and can be immediately deployed throughout an entire corporate intranet.

“We developed the content for GUIguide based on our experience with more than 300 client/server and web application development projects,” said James Hobart, president of Classic System Solutions. “Unlike other standards publications and guides, GUIguide offers recommendations and examples over and above the most accepted GUI standards in the industry, and all in one centrally available knowledge portal. Software applications developed using GUIguide's best practices allow for future reusability and ensures greater end-user acceptance.”

GUIguide 3.3 is now shipping. The price for an enterprise version of GUIguide 3.3 starts at $24,995. Ordering GUIguide can be accomplished by calling the Classic System Solutions hotline at 925-240-2550 or by completing the information request form at the Classic System web site at www. classicsys. com.

About Classic System Solutions

Founded in 1996, Classic System Solutions, Inc. provides usability design products and consulting services for corporate software development. Classic System Solutions offers usability and design seminars and workshops around the world focused on practical, experience based design best practices. The company also offers GUIguide, the worldÂ’s only design knowledge portal, which expedites the development of highly usable software. Classic System Solutions offers a range of usability consulting services including interaction design, application architecture, usability testing and prototyping. Classic System Solutions has worked with more than 300 Global 2000 organizations to help them realize highly usable software, including Blue Cross, GMAC, Bell Canada, Peoplesoft, Sybase, Boeing, Hewlett Packard, IBM and Progressive Insurance. More information on Classic System Solutions can be found online at www. classicsys. com.

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Preventive Cardiology Experts: Governor Perry Can Save Thousands of Lives, Reduce Healthcare Costs

Preventive Cardiology Experts: Governor Perry Can Save Thousands of Lives, Reduce Healthcare Costs

The State of Texas is the first in the United States to mandate healthcare providers to reimburse certain heart attack and stroke preventive screening tests for early detection of hidden heart disease through a healthcare bill. The bill, which passed out of the Texas Legislature with 26 to 5 votes, is on its way to the Office of Texas Governor Rick Perry.

Houston, Texas (PRWEB) May 28, 2009

Distinguished preventive cardiologists and academic cardiovascular specialists from the Society for Heart Attack Prevention and Eradication (SHAPE (http://www. shapesociety. org)), a leading non-profit organization advocating for early detection of future heart attack victims, today estimated significant health advances for Texans if Governor Rick Perry signs a preventive heart screening bill into law. The bill passed by Texas lawmakers would require reimbursement of up to $200 for certain approved screening tests for men between ages 45 and 75, and women between ages 55 and 75, who are at intermediate risk of a heart attack according to their Framingham Risk Score.

According to an analysis extrapolated from the SHAPE Task Force Report (published in the American Journal of Cardiology July 2006), the preventive screening of asymptomatic men and women could have the following outcomes:
Prevent more than 4,300 deaths from cardiovascular disease each year in Texas. Reduce the history of heart attack - currently estimated to be 1.4 million - by as much as 25 percent in the Texas Population. Save approximately $1.6 billion in healthcare costs annually.

"The passage of the first preventive cardiovascular screening bill is a great opportunity for Governor Rick Perry to help save the lives of thousands of Texans whose hidden heart disease goes undetected and hence untreated, partly because non-invasive screening for hidden plaque in the arteries is not covered by healthcare providers," said Dr. P. K. Shah, Director of Cardiology at Cedars Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, a principal member of the SHAPE Task Force and an active member of the American Heart Association. "It can open a new path in preventive cardiovascular care, the implications of which go beyond Texas."

"At one time, using imaging technologies, like mammography and colonoscopy, to screen for cancer seemed like an impractical idea, but after reimbursement approval, they have become part of everyday medicine and have saved countless lives," said Dr. Harvey Hecht, a prominent preventive cardiologist at the Lenox Hill Heart and Vascular Institute in New York, who is also a member of the SHAPE Task Force.

Heart disease has been the number one killer in the U. S. since 1902 (except during the pandemic flu of 1918). According to Texas Department of State Health Services, 32% of all deaths in Texas are caused by cardiovascular disease. In 2007, over 1,441,000 people in Texas reported that they have had heart disease or stroke. With increasing Hispanic population in Texas, obesity, diabetes and heart disease is weighing on Texas more than other states.

"This is a monumental legislation that can become a bold milestone in the history of eradicating heart attacks in decades to come," said Dr. Morteza Naghavi, founder of SHAPE, and Chairman of the SHAPE Task Force who testified at the Texas House of Representative. "We are proud that Texas is poised to be the first to take this pioneering step towards a true cardiovascular healthcare beyond the existing cardiovascular sick-care," added Naghavi, whose invention at the University of Texas in Houston was funded by the State of Texas Emerging Technology initiative for commercialization.

The Texas legislation is the first in the United States to mandate the careful and responsible implementation of a comprehensive heart attack risk assessment and reduction strategy. It closely follows the SHAPE Guideline for identification of apparently healthy individuals who have a high risk of a near future heart attack but are unaware of their risk. Approved screening procedures include: 1) the measurement of coronary artery calcium score (CACS) by CT; and 2) the measurement of carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and plaque by ultrasonography.

These two non-invasive screening tests have proven by the National Health Institute studies to be strong predictors of those who are vulnerable to a heart attack or stroke.

About SHAPE
Originated from the Texas Medical Center in Houston, the Society for Heart Attack Prevention and Eradication (SHAPE) is a non-profit organization founded by Dr. Morteza Naghavi, a former faculty of the Texas Heart Institute and the University of Texas in Houston. The mission of SHAPE is to promote education and research related to mechanism, prevention, detection, and treatment of heart attacks. The organization is committed to raising public awareness about recent revolutionary discoveries that opened exciting new avenues to prevent heart attack. SHAPE's mission is to eradicate heart attacks in the 21st century. Additional information is available on the organization's Web site at www. shapesociety. org or call 1-877-SHAPE11

About SHAPE Task Force
Chairman: Morteza Naghavi, M. D. Editorial Committee: Prediman K. Shah, M. D. (Chief); (alphabetic order): Raymond Bahr, M. D., Daniel Berman, M. D., Roger Blumenthal, M. D., Matthew J. Budoff, M. D., Jay Cohn, M. D., Erling Falk, M. D., Ph. D., Ole Faergeman, M. D., Zahi Fayad, Ph. D., Harvey S. Hecht, M. D., Wolfgang Koenig, M. D., Ph. D., Daniel Lane, M. D., Ph. D., Morteza Naghavi, M. D., John Rumberger, M. D., Ph. D., Allen J. Taylor, M. D. Writing Group: Erling Falk, M. D., Ph. D. (Coordinator); (alphabetic order): Juhani Airaksinen, M. D., Dan Arking, Ph. D., Juan Badimon, Ph. D., Raymond Bahr, M. D., Daniel Berman, M. D., Matthew J. Budoff, M. D., Jay Cohn, M. D., Jasenka Demirovic, M. D., Ph. D., Pamela Douglas, M. D., Ole Faergeman, M. D., Zahi Fayad, Ph. D., James A. Goldstein, M. D., Harvey S. Hecht, M. D., Victoria L. M. Herrera, M. D., Sanjay Kaul, M. D., M. P.H., Wolfgang Koenig, M. D., Ph. D., Robert A. Mendes, M. D., Morteza Naghavi, M. D.; Tasneem Z. Naqvi, M. D., Ward A. Riley, Ph. D., Yoram Rudy, PhD, John Rumberger, M. D., Ph. D., Leslee Shaw, Ph. D., Robert S. Schwartz, M. D., Arturo G. Touchard, M. D. Advisors (alphabetic order): Arthur Agagston, M. D., Stephane Carlier, M. D., Ph. D., Raimund Erbel, M. D., Chris deKorte, Ph. D., Craig Hartley, Ph. D., Ioannis Kakadiaris, Ph. D., Roxana Mehran, M. D., Ralph Metcalfe, Ph. D., Daniel O'Leary, M. D., Jan Nilsson, M. D., Gerard Pasterkamp, M. D., Ph. D., Paul Schoenhagen, M. D., Henrik Sillesen, M. D., Ph. D.

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ON Networks Introduces New Comedy Lineup, with All-New Shows Sure to Make Viewers Double over with Laughter

ON Networks Introduces New Comedy Lineup, with All-New Shows Sure to Make Viewers Double over with Laughter

Sketch comedy zaniness, stand-up instruction and game show-style cooking share a virtual stage at ONnetworks. com. The newly launched comedy line-up boasts quirky, original shows that offer something for everyone -- from satire enthusiasts looking for fresh desktop distractions to wannabe comedians eager to be the next Kathy Griffin or Jerry Seinfeld.

AUSTIN, Texas (PRWEB) July 10, 2007

 The 3-10 minute weekly shows are part of ON Networks' collection of smart, short-form entertainment which can be watched anytime, anywhere and on any device. ON Networks is one of the largest providers of original, high-definition content that is compatible with all Apple platforms, including the iPhone, iPod and Apple TV.

The ON comedy lineup includes:

-- Comedy Insider (www. comedyinsider. tv) - A virtual primer on how to be a stand-up comic. Viewers learn the ins, outs, ups and downs of engaging in the world's only art form with a two drink minimum. Filmed at the famed Gotham Comedy Club in New York City, Comedy Insider is hosted by Christian Thom and features a different guest comic each week. With topics ranging from, "Crafting your Onstage Persona" to "Stand-Up Economics 101," each episode features interviews juxtaposed with performance clips of the guest's live stand-up.

-- Backpack Picnic (www. backpackpicnic. tv) - Redefining how weird and hilarious sketch comedy can be. Viewers are treated to absurdist sketch comedy at its very best, served up by comedy troupe veterans Mitch Baker and Dave Bewley and their band of merry men. With a combination of one-off skits and recurring character pieces, the show creates a nonsensical world reminiscent of Kids in the Hall and Fox's Family Guy. One recent Backpack episode, titled "Spin," sees a corporate spin-doctor's press conference take a turn for the tasty worst while another, called "Suppression Bakery," features inane cross-dressing bakers who answer the hypothetical question, "what ingredients are in a cake?" with the answer: "eggs, sugar, chocolate and RAGE" and then set about demonstrating how, to a murderous crescendo.

-- Stump the Chef (www. stumpthechef. tv) - One seasoned chef, three random ingredients, and three tough judges. A punchy cooking show with the flair of early TV game shows, Stump the Chef is reminiscent of the Price is Right with a dash of Iron Chef thrown in. In each episode, award-winning Chef Matt Weaver is presented with three random ingredients -- such as liver, day-old French fries and olives -- and challenged to create an edible dish with the addition of only a few pantry items. All the while, two "wannabe foodie" announcers provide hilarious running commentary, questioning whether Matt will succeed at winning a "thumbs up" from the judges. No matter what crazy ingredients he's faced with, Matt gets creative and reminds viewers, "don't be afraid of the kitchen."

"Comedy is an important content category across all forms of media," said Kip McClanahan, ON Networks' CEO. "We're excited to be among the first new media companies offering original, short-form comedies, produced in high-definition and available for multiple digital platforms including the Internet, digital cable, IPTV and various mobile and gaming devices."

In addition to adding new weekly episodes to its existing comedy lineup, ON is continuously adding new shows to its roster. Shows can be watched anytime, anywhere by going to www. onnetworks. com and clicking on the desired icon. Viewers can then subscribe to receive email updates about new episodes, as well as get other program information. Other shows available at www. onnetworks. com are: Austin Connoisseur, Budget Health Nut, Cocktails on the Fly, Dinner with the Band, ON Dating, Golf Tips, Lust for Looks and Zen Living.

To share an episode of any ON program, simply visit www. onnetworks. com and select the desired show and episode. Next, click on the "chain" icon in the player control bar. There, you can view the embedded HTML player code, which can be copied and then pasted onto any web page.

About ON Networks, Inc.

ON Networks is changing the way television shows are created, distributed, consumed and monetized. It's a new media company for the digital generation, delivering high-definition content on-demand across the Internet and new networks like IPTV, digital cable and iTunes. ON's short-form, weekly videos satisfy the growing demand for relevant, smart and entertaining programming that is available when, where and how viewers want to watch it. Join the growing ON community at www. onnetworks. com.

ThinkVillage® Launches Innovation Center

ThinkVillage® Launches Innovation Center

ThinkVillage, LLC announced its web-based Innovation Center that assists institutions and individual inventors in bringing inventions to market.

Boulder, CO (PRWEB) August 3, 2007

ThinkVillage, LLC announced its web-based Innovation Center that assists institutions and individual inventors in bringing inventions to market. The on-line Innovation Center provides an easy avenue for innovators and tech transfer offices to refine and protect concepts, and to also see finished patents marketed to prospective buyers in the commercial arena.

Since its inception in 2006, ThinkVillage has reduced the ‘barriers of entry’ that often frustrate inventors. Founder/inventor Curtis Vock conceived of ThinkVillage while struggling with red tape that inhibited getting his innovations to the market. Vock said, “First there are the confidentiality agreements (which often do not really protect you) and then there are the extensive costs of getting a patent filed and sold. Finally, very few companies are set up to incorporate new ideas from outside the company. We founded ThinkVillage to help bridge the gap between conception and licensing.”

Vock has over forty issued patents and has sold or licensed over 30 of them in the last twelve years, and yet still tires of the patent/commercialization process. Vock added, “It is often more preferable, and successful, for inventors to create, innovate and then put ideas into capable hands that take care of the rest of the process. What I love about this approach is that inventors become free to invent and society gains quicker access to innovative solutions, all in an open forum.”

ThinkVillage’s Innovation Center website accepts IP in all stages, from undisclosed ideas to issued patents. A unique feature of ThinkVillage is its ever-growing network of specialists that help evaluate the feasibility of technologies and introduce those that make the grade to end-users that purchase or license the underlying IP. For patents or patent concepts that have merit, ThinkVillage provides the investment required to develop and market them to the highest bidder.

Currently, ThinkVillage is focused on four industry segments: computer sciences, life sciences, physical sciences and consumer goods.

“It's amazing how many first-class technologies we have had submitted at this point,” says principal Rod Thomas. “We have received DNA sequencing technologies, digital communications algorithms and even pulmonary medication technologies. We also have a fair number of consumer product innovations and enhancements. Many sophisticated inventors have great ideas but just do not want to contend with patenting technicalities. Another thing we strive to do is speed up the commercialization process. Most of the universities and experienced inventors we deal with know how long commercialization can take if not approached correctly.”

Inventor David Kumhyr (Master Inventor for IBM) and his brother Paul (emergency health care expert) have already submitted seven inventions between them. Kumhyr said, “We are pleased that ThinkVillage has been able to advance our ideas so that we can remain focused on what we do best – coming up with the next best things.” ThinkVillage has already filed patents for three of the brothers’ seven submissions, with others still in the evaluation pipeline.

ThinkVillage is based in Boulder, Colorado. It is recognized as a leading resource for universities, research institutions and independent inventors. To explore the Innovation Center website and learn more about ThinkVillage, go to www. thinkvillage. com.

Contact:
Tom Thompson
ThinkVillage
303-439-9100

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Friday, November 10, 2006

Salmon Creek Public Relations Inc. Focuses on Television & Print Advertising and Signs Veteran LA AD Agency Executive Dave Bourne as Creative Director & Vice President

Salmon Creek Public Relations Inc. Focuses on Television & Print Advertising and Signs Veteran LA AD Agency Executive Dave Bourne as Creative Director & Vice President

Vancouver Washington - Portland Oregon based Salmon Creek Public Relations Inc. Signs Veteran LA Advertising Executive Dave Bourne to the post of Creative Director & Vice President

Portland, OR (PRWEB) June 2, 2004

Salmon Creek announced today the addition of veteran advertising executive Dave Bourne as Creative Director & Vice President of Salmon Creek Public Relations Inc. According to Loran Hickton, President of Salmon Creek, "Dave Bourne is an incredibly talented creative person who will increase the quality and value of our work for our clients. We look forward to Dave leading us to new levels in our business that would not be possible without his talent and expertise."

In his role as a principal in a LA creative firm, Ignite Advertising Inc. Dave conceived, created and developed ads and communications that provided high-value and return. Dave Bourne has an excellent reputation and has represented business segment leaders with thoughtful and creative campaigns that include print, internet, radio and television.

"The addition of Dave Bourne will help us to achieve growth in the important segment of television and print advertising as well as world-class and market tested creative concepts," Hickton continued.

Salmon Creek Public Relations Inc. now will have offices in Los Angeles, Portland, Vancouver and Pittsburgh.

Salmon Creek is a full - service creative ad and public relations agency with focus on consumer communications, animal health and welfare issues. Salmon Creek Clients include leading pharmaceutical, humane and service animal organizations. Services provided by Salmon Creek Public Relations Inc. include; Comprehensive analysis of issues and market conditions, Business and branding strategies, Marketing strategies and creative communications plans, Consumer public relations, Press & analyst tours, Talent representation, Community relations, Trade & industry relations, Network grade commercials - VNRÂ’s - DVDÂ’s and video advertising concepts, print ad development and placement, and other promotional related collateral materials.

You can contact Loran Hickton at lhickton@salmoncreekpr. com or Phone 360-571-5560

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T3i Group Predicts Healthy Growth In IVR Market Driven By the Synergy of New Applications and Technology

T3i Group Predicts Healthy Growth In IVR Market Driven By the Synergy of New Applications and Technology

According to a new T3i Group report, the top three IVR applications that could boost revenues are incoming call handling for contact centers; inbound self-service transactions; and outbound calling, such as appointment confirmations, collections reminders and repair notifications.

Parsippany, NJ (PRWEB) July 14, 2009

According to T3i Group's latest research, the global interactive voice response (IVR) market, which includes speech recognition, will grow to $514 million by 2013, up from an estimated $431 million this year, due in part to the growth in voice XML (VXML) technology.

The new "InfoTrack for Converged Applications 2008 IVR Market Report" found global IVR shipments from the top 11 vendors exceeded 625,000 ports in 2008. The top three vendors based on ports shipped were Nortel, Genesys and Convergys; and the revenue leaders were Avaya, Nortel and Genesys. T3i Group said North America led all regions but with considerably less than 50% of the market, followed by the Europe Middle East Africa (EMEA) and Asia Pacific (APAC) regions, respectively.

T3i Group segmented the analysis in this report by technology, applications and vertical industry.

Among the key findings:
95% of IVR ports shipped in 2013 will support VXML, compared with less than 75% today. VXML enables Web sites to offer the same text-based applications, such as order entry, with speech recognition. The top three IVR applications are incoming call handling for contact centers; inbound self-service transactions; and outbound calling, such as appointment confirmations, collections reminders and repair notifications. As vendors and enterprises integrate IVR into more comprehensive customer-care solutions, IVR ports shipped specifically for inbound calls to contact centers will decrease nearly 10% each year to 2013. In comparison, IVR port growth will be driven by outbound applications at a rate of almost 12% annually through 2013. DTMF (analog voice) port shipments are declining, while shipments of speech ports, which recognize speech or convert text to speech, will hold an almost 2:1 advantage by 2013. IP/SIP port shipments are growing strongly year over year; by 2013, only 10% of all IVR ports shipped will be TDM, compared with 42% today. "The market for IVR is gaining new life due to a resurgence of self-service applications; the power of VXML to link Web applications to voice; and increasingly sophisticated outbound applications, including video on cellphones," noted Ken Dolsky, Program Director for T3i Group's "InfoTrack for Converged Applications" program. "Every vertical segment has some unique opportunities, and vendors are providing both solutions and guidance as to how IVR can improve the total customer experience with customer-pleasing applications to replace the stereotypical perception of IVR as only an endless loop menu."

For more information about the "InfoTrack for Converged Applications 2008 IVR Market Report," go to http://www. telecomweb. com/marketresearch/convergedapps/ (http://www. telecomweb. com/marketresearch/convergedapps/) or contact Bonnie Fairbrother at 973/602-0181.

About T3i Group LLC:
T3i Group LLC provides market research, data, analysis, and consulting and advisory services to the telecommunications industry. It has clients in 46 countries and conducts its business through four operating units: InfoTrack publishes reports that analyze shipment, revenue, market share and other pertinent data of importance to telecommunications equipment manufacturers; TelecomTactics maintains a database of the features and functionality of major telephony systems; Tarifica maintains a database of pricing-related information covering 400 telecommunications carriers operating in 130 countries; and TelecomWeb (www. t3igroup. com) serves as T3i Group's primary delivery mechanism for distributing its reports, analyses and data to subscribers.

T3i Group LLC is headquartered in Parsippany, N. J., with additional offices in New York City; London, England; and Cherry Hill, N. J.

Press Contact: Debra Baker, 301/905-7703

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Thursday, November 9, 2006

Infohrm Releases Packaged Workforce Analytics Reports to Jump Start Organizations' 2009 Planning Processes

Infohrm Releases Packaged Workforce Analytics Reports to Jump Start Organizations' 2009 Planning Processes

New Issue-Focused Reports Provide Detailed Analysis of Organizations' Human Capital Risks

Washington, DC (PRWEB) December 13, 2008

Infohrm (http://www. infohrm. com/about/), the global leader in workforce planning, reporting and analytics solutions, today announced the release of a set of packaged workforce analytics reports that significantly improve how business leaders investigate critical workforce issues. The new reports reduce the time needed to aggregate, analyze, and publish trend data, increase the depth of insights on current challenges, and enable faster decision-making.

Business questions addressed by Infohrm's Issue-Focused Reports include:

1. Low Tenure Termination Report—Which business units suffer from excessive new hire turnover? What are the financial costs of turnover within each tenure band?

2. Aging Workforce Report—Does my organization risk losing skills, knowledge, and leadership due to an aging workforce? Which business units or job families face the greatest potential loss?

3. Workforce Generation Report—How are Generation X, Generation Y, Early Boomer, Late Boomer, and Silent employees represented across key workforce segments? Does the organization face costly churn (high numbers of hires and departures) within specific generations?

4. Workforce Diversity Report—What proportion of the workforce is of a gender or ethnic minority? Are minority employees developed, promoted, and retained at the same rate as the overall workforce?

5. Loss of Knowledge Report—Who are our “Most Valuable Employees”? What is the risk of them leaving the organization?

6. Internal Mobility Report—Are we providing adequate career paths for our high performers? What is the link between lack of internal movement and turnover?

7. Workforce Planning Supply Report—What is the age, tenure, diversity, and retirement-eligibility profile of our current workforce? Which business areas have staff with the highest workforce age and tenure?

"Infohrm's new reports have been developed to address the key questions posed by today's business leaders: 'Which workforce issues do I need to focus on?' and 'Can you aggregate and publish the results of your analysis in an easy-to-read report?'", said Brian Kelly, President of Infohrm North America. "Equipped with these reports, senior executives around the world can obtain a quick snapshot of the important information they need to run their businesses – and have this analysis updated on ongoing basis without making any additional investments."

Addressing a challenge common to most data-intensive workforce scorecards, the new reports combine metrics with text-based explanations of important trends and potential implications for business executives. Effectively delivering automated workforce reports to internal audiences is crucial for end-user adoption. As such, the reports contain:
Issue overviews or linkage models Glossaries of key terms Internal and external benchmarking data Real-time drill down by business unit and location Analysis of workforce demographics, experiences, and performance Role-based security

"The new Issue-Focused Reports have significantly reduced the amount of time my team spends analyzing the data, and helped us quickly and easily identify hot spots within Health Net's workforce", said Regan Klein, Workforce Planning Analyst at Health Net. "These reports are now readily available to our entire user population and have proved to be a valuable tool in terms of highlighting important issues for our leadership team. We are able to educate our users on emerging HR trends, demonstrate the value of visually depicting data, and provide them with a tool to share with the business on an ongoing basis."

"The beauty of working with Infohrm is that everyone is looking at same set of data", said Dawn Pickett, Senior Systems Analyst with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida. "We are really excited about how Infohrm’s capabilities are helping to support our workforce reporting and workforce planning initiatives."

In order to learn how Infohrm’s Issue-Focused Reports can add value to your organization, visit Infohrm's homepage to download a copy of the Low Tenure Termination Report or contact Brian DeGroodt at 202-589-2063 to arrange for a more in-depth demonstration of the power of packaged analytics.

About Infohrm

Infohrm is the global leader in on-demand workforce planning, reporting, and human capital analytics solutions. With over 25 years of experience, and a strong customer base consisting of Fortune 1000, non-profit, and government clients, Infohrm has paved the way for organizations to measure the impact of human capital initiatives and drive business results. The Infohrm solutions couple a leading edge on-demand technology platform with strategic consulting and HR professional development services that focus on the analysis of data to help organizations make informed decisions around human capital practices.

In April 2008, Gartner named Infohrm to its "Cool Vendors for Human Capital Management Software" report.

Learn more at www. infohrm. com

Contact Information:

Mick Collins
Vice President of Marketing
202-589-2660

This press release was distributed through eMediawire by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www. HRmarketer. com) on behalf of the company listed above.

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THE REBRANDING OF MARY J. BLIGE: HER NEW IMAGE, NEW ATTITUDE & NEW APPROACH TO BUSINESS THE FEATURED COVER STORY FOR OCTOBERÂ’S SISTER 2 SISTER MAGAZINE

THE REBRANDING OF MARY J. BLIGE: HER NEW IMAGE, NEW ATTITUDE & NEW APPROACH TO BUSINESS THE FEATURED COVER STORY FOR OCTOBERÂ’S SISTER 2 SISTER MAGAZINE.

The “drama-free” diva talks about life after death (Aaliyah’s), life after debt, life after alcohol and Puffy too.

(PRWEB) September 5, 2003

Takoma Park, MD, September 3, 2003—Mary J. Blige says she’s done a complete turnaround in her life and has a brand new business savvy to boot. From a new positive attitude, to a new outlook on what it takes to maintain amicable relationships with the media and business constituents, Mary J. Blige tells Sister 2 Sister magazine that she’s put the bottle down and the extravagant spending aside for a smarter, healthier and more whole lifestyle. Blige is featured on the October cover of Sister 2 Sister which hits newsstands on September 9, 2003.

Sister 2 Sister publisher, “the Barbara Walters of Print,” Jamie Foster Brown sat down for the revealing conversation with the new, upbeat and admittedly happy Blige.

“I like me and I love myself,” said Blige. “That’s the way you keep anything good in your life—by not worrying about what other people think about you. It’s about what you think of yourself.”

Blige also talks about how she went to the brink with alcohol and debt, but managed to dig herself out of the hole with the help of God, her fiancé Kindu and the death of friend Aaliyah.

“Right, I was like, I can’t lose him. I went home sober and he was happy,” Blige recalls. “That same night Aaliyah got killed. That really messed me up because the first thing that came to mind after that was that I wanted to have a drink, but I didn’t because I saw the pattern.”

Confessing to having a bad attitude before and a bad reputation to match, Blige went on to talk about her image turnaround, and how her new approach to business has meant a boost to her career. She credits her turnaround mostly to her manager and fiancé. 

“They [The corporate world] wants to see you doing business properly,” Blige said. “The bottom line is that they need to see a change in Mary, not someone that heard I was a bad person. We’re just showing them that we’re ready to do this right”

Also within the October edition, Jamie Foster Brown has a one-on-one chat with Kobe BryantÂ’s high school sweetheart, Jocelyn Ebron. Introduced to Kobe by a couple of his cousins, the young woman talks about what it was like to be the basketball phenomÂ’s girlfriend, how their prom night changed when Brandy came into the picture, and what she and her family felt when they heard the news through the media that he was engaged to Vanessa Laine. According to Ebron, Kobe didnÂ’t call to break up with her or tell her the news.

“I didn’t have to tell my parents. We were sitting in the room and I think we all heard it together,” said Ebron. “What was really shocking is that his cousins didn’t know. It was a shock to everyone.”

As for the charges of sexual assault against the basketball star, Ebron gave insights on KobeÂ’s character.

“I can see if someone says he acted foul towards them,” Ebron said. “Rape just seems really harsh. That’s not in his character.”

Also within the pages of the September S2S, R. L. of Next explains why he thinks his new marriage went south in less than three months. Sister 2 Sister included wedding photos of the happy couple in the September edition; however, in the October edition, he tells why the couple is calling it quits. 

“We still love each other, but in the end we knew that this is what was best because we would argue all the time about stuff that we couldn’t change,” said R. L.

Jamie Foster Brown is available for interviews on all of these topics and more. For insights, reactions and opinions on the latest topics contact Michelle Starr at 469.948.0119 for booking.

Sister 2 Sister (S2S) is the fastest growing audited entertainment and lifestyle magazine for African American women. It has been in existence for 15 years and is wholly owned by Jamie Foster Brown, “The Barbara Walters of Print,” who built her career in the entertainment industry. Since its modest beginnings as a newsletter for women in the entertainment industry back in 1988, the magazine has developed into one of the most powerful and respected voices in entertainment, focusing on Black celebrity news. Currently distributed in the U. S. and abroad, S2S has achieved phenomenal growth, nearly quadrupling circulation in the last five years. For more information on Sister 2 Sister, log on to http://www. s2smagazine. com (http://www. s2smagazine. com).

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